Overlapping game schedule undermines Women's World Cup

The Women's World Cup group stage is complete. Eight countries are eliminated, and 16 remain. Rather than discuss the progression of teams, the record-breaking attendance and the excitement this tournament has brought to our country, it is time to be critical and I'm not going to be nice about it.

The Women’s World Cup group stage is complete. Eight countries are eliminated, and 16 remain. Rather than discuss the progression of teams, the record-breaking attendance and the excitement this tournament has brought to our country, it is time to be critical and I’m not going to be nice about it.

As a passionate soccer fan, Canada 2015 has brought about my fair share of frustration. And once you attend a FIFA men’s World Cup, the standard rises. Unfortunately their counterpart women are not given the same respect. Yes, there is massive revenue difference, among other things, but this will not be the point of my writing today.

All the ladies are asking for is a level playing field.

I have a problem with the schedule and here is why: There are overlapping games. Viewers have been forced to choose. Yes, it’s standard for the final day of group matches to be played simultaneously – this because of the infamous West Germany-Austria scandal of 1982 when the two sides played to 1-0 score, a result both teams needed to advance, at the expense of Algeria.

At Canada 2015 there have been four group games some days while other days

had none. TSN was forced to broadcast replays of Canada’s 1-0 and 0-0 matches, confusing some of its less committed audience on a sports-frantic Sunday afternoon.

At first, I thought this was for players to have proper rest between games. But once I looked into it more deeply, it obviously was not the case, as there is complete disregard for this in the knockout round.

Winning the group should convey some sort of advantage. In the Group D winner’s case, it’s actually the opposite. When the U.S. go on to beat Colombia in their round-of-16 match, they will have just three days’ rest before their quarter-final. They’ll play against a fiveday rested winner from the Cameroon-China encounter.

The same thing happens when the winners of games 41 and 42 meet in an Edmonton-hosted quarter-final. If all goes according to plan for that game, Brazil would have two more days rest than reigning-champion Japan. That’s an obviously unfair advantage for Brazil. My biggest issue is the decision by FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association to play on artificial field turf. This decision can summarize CSA in a nutshell. I don’t know of any other soccer association in the world that would be so accepting to break tradition and stray from the heavily desired grass. Yes, it’s easier said than done. But it’s about doing the right thing, and in this case the right thing would have been grass.

If it is such a large event with the world’s eye on it, would this country not want to put out the very best product possible? Nope, not the CSA. It’s second-rate, as usual. Even with the pleas, and the lawsuit relating to women’s rights, they would not budge.

FIFA spreads officiating assignments to all corners of the globe. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always translate into good officiating. Take the Colombia-Mexico match, for example. Some debatable calls and two good goals disallowed made me wonder how the Cameroonian referee ever got the appointment. We surely won’t see her again at this World Cup.

There were pivotal moments, such as the hand ball in the box by U.S. player Sydney Leroux versus Sweden that went uncalled. That could have changed the entire outcome of the so-called Group of Death.

While the head officials are having enough trouble of their own in the centre of the park, many assistants appear not to know the rules of the ball in and out of play. Ladies, the ball must fully cross the line before it is out. So many flaghappy linesman have left many players disgruntled.

OK, breathe, Lee. Now that I got that off my chest, I will continue to watch, travel to games and cheer on our Canadian girls, hoping they can replicate the excitement they brought to our country from London in 2012. Canada plays against Switzerland on Sunday at 5 p.m. on CTV.

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